


As You Are

by ammehsuor



Series: Red Ground [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Aftercare, Alternate Universe, BDSM, Biting, Bloodplay, Choking, Demons, Dirty Talk, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Mentions of Prostitution, References to Drugs, Risk Aware Consensual Kink, Rough Sex, Wing Kink, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 09:51:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17302421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ammehsuor/pseuds/ammehsuor
Summary: Ren is an excommunicated royal demon charged with reigning over the most desolate part of the underworld. Akechi is a sly and highly coveted messenger of the deities with a damning secret. Both are missing the key to a worthwhile life, and despite mutual contempt, they might have to find it in each other.





	As You Are

**Author's Note:**

> This was made for a couple of lovely pals who needed a great number of interesting hallmarks met ;} It took a while, but in the end this is probably my favorite work for our disaster pairing thus far.  
> I hope everyone has as much fun reading this as I did building it.  
> If you're interested in having me write you something, slide into my DMs........ and we shall discuss
> 
> Very Important P.S.: Morgana’s appearance in this story is based off of his beta design from the artbook.  
> https://i.imgur.com/qI9sduB.png

**-**

             
Ren did not often lend himself to judgment. He had a feeling that was about to change.

Admittedly, stepping foot into the beaten-up great hall of the middle realm was a final brutal reminder of why he never visited for pleasure. If the chalky columns didn’t cave in tonight, they soon would. He chastised himself for thinking it might be for the best. It had been three hours already with no glimmer of hope, and his courtesy was wavering fast.

“…As an aside, sir, your quarters are on the third floor. I promise they’re in much better condition.”

The chipper black feline smiled crookedly and held a key out to him, dangling from a rusted chain. Three hours of introduction to this fog-filled hole, and _this_ was the crown jewel to end it all. Exceptional.

“Are you the only one in charge of the grounds, or are the other staff hiding in the court smoking quartz as well?”

The cat twitched its whiskers, as if deciding whether to take the jab personally. Ren reviewed the old nametag hanging askew on its vest. _Morgana._ Such a regal name, he had to wonder what it was doing in a place like this, instead of up north hand-feeding the royals chocolate strawberries- or their treasured drug pipes, if he were to be honest.

“…Is quartz of interest to you, sir? I may be able to pull some stri—”

Ren snorted audibly. “Gods above, I wasn’t serious. I don’t use the stuff.”

Then again, if a drug-induced hallucination could make him forget he’d be sleeping in this absolute wreck of a master bedroom, perhaps he’d need to start.

Deep purple curtains draped over smog-frosted glass, cracked near the bottom, though it showed signs of multiple shoddy attempts at repair. The carpet was clearly old, but had been combed through, and the splintering four-post bed was barely salvaged by neatly folded comforters.

Ren pressed a palm into them, the tips of his nails catching in the weave.

“How much do you know?”

He didn’t need to turn around to know that Morgana shifted slightly. Nervously.

“I know enough to not pass on the information. You’re aware of how the red ground can be about change. They haven’t had a king for the better half of a millennia. I’ll be frank, and hope you don’t take offense; I worry they won’t respond kindly to your authority, even if your reputation were spotless—”

“Let me be _frank_ as well, then.” Ren rolled his shoulders, casting a bored glance out the window. “Just say what you need to say in the future. Keep your worries about offending me close to the heart, or let them go. I promise they’ll only be a burden to you.”

Morgana watched him inspect the walls and windowpanes with tightly folded wings, clearly expecting more. The poor thing was even too frightened to interrupt the silence? Surely it was just being excessively polite.

“I know how everyone treats this place. That’s why it’s a failure in my eyes.”

He felt a twinge of shame at such an outburst, but Morgana was entirely unshaken.

“The bleeding hearts might disagree, sir.”

Ren whipped around, snarling. He was so fed up with feeling alienated already. “What did you say? What the fuck does that mean?”

“Bleeding hearts, sir. The incubi and succubi from the south who work with humans. Some of them can’t handle having a constant connection to the earth like that. It drives them crazy. They come here to escape it, possibly to integrate… but they end up in pockets of their own kind. They’re happy enough, but none of them know languages that aren’t human.”

Ren exhaled in disbelief. Every new piece of information was making him more and more weary. Just how detached from reality had he been, living amongst the excess for so long?

His expression gave too much away, clearly. Morgana offered him a sad smile.

“I’m not surprised you didn’t know. It’s a more recent trend. The lower realm was militaristic, and we rarely heard from even their head of operations, let alone dwellers. They simply had no time for us. Thank the Gods we have Loki’s patron to keep tabs now, although it hasn’t helped the problem with our integrators… I really wish we could have time dedicated to discussing these things professionally. All of us.”

Ren had long since dropped his weight onto the bed, eyes glassy. None of it made sense anymore, and the mere mention of Loki snapped the final string. The trip from up north was jarring enough without having to deal with the events afterwards. Perhaps breathing in pure smoke was finally taking its toll. Either way, Morgana took note.

“Take the evening to get yourself acquainted. I’ll have the cook bring dinner in about an hour, if you’ll take it in your room.”

The door clicked softly behind him, and Ren let out a long breath.

He pulled the only footstool in the room to the window- both of them old, creaking things- and sat down heavily, crossing his arms by the hot glass.

The red ground seemed to stretch on forever, dotted with the flickering lights of cavern dwellings and prison gates. Gods, the prisons. Prisons _everywhere._ If it wasn’t a prison, it was a whorehouse, and the former, and the latter, alternating across countless miles. What an absolute waste. The middle realm might not have a high starry ceiling or flowing water, but the flat earth and wide expanse of land practically screamed for infrastructure. Traffic. _Trade._ If anyone gave a damn and brought their resources together- their _ample free time and coin,_ if the thriving gambling and drug industries were any indication- this place could go from the land of degeneracy to a thriving market overnight.

But there was no drive for it anymore. There was no _community_ for it. This place was full of creatures with no opportunity. Cuva shoehorned into prostitution, who stuck around in order to survive… bleeding hearts who didn’t speak the language and didn’t care to learn… and the prisoners. Tens of thousands of prisoners, held in the high security of the red ground’s metallic chasms, wasting away for eternity.

Loki’s ideal, of course.

Ren closed his eyes, trying not to get worked up again. Knowing he couldn’t be executed, Loki would’ve gladly made him a common prisoner as well, if his name didn’t carry history. Not like it mattered beyond that. No northern mentee would ever have the gall to associate with anyone deemed a public criminal, no matter how close they’d been before. It simply wasn’t worth it; Ren supposed he couldn’t blame them for that. It just meant he’d need to scrub a few thousand years of memories from his mind. There was plenty of time for that now.

Food came just as he was about to pass out. Surprisingly, it was the highlight of the evening- possibly the best thing he’d eaten in a long time, rich and filling, and well presented.

He stared at the empty silverware for while after. If there was hidden potential here… perhaps he’d simply need to look a bit harder for it.

But not tonight. Not tonight.

* * *

Twin rising suns made Ren realize he’d never seen the middle ground in daytime.

Still a hole, he decided, staring out the foyer window while a lanky critter helped him into his robes. Even so, the smog wasn’t as foreboding now. The crimson dirt stamped flat seemed to glitter with mineral deposits and tall red-flowered plants. In the dusk, they masqueraded in tendrils of green against the night sky, closing their petals until light rained down. They dripped a clear liquid onto the dirt, countless days of which likely carved the swirled pattern of red-brown waves curling around the great hall’s sandstone walkways.

It wasn’t impossible. Though his eyes burnt from being up since before sunrise drafting a few things out to feel more in control, he was already calculating the layout of a travel route through all the canyons within viewing distance when Morgana interrupted the fantasy, clearing its throat in the entryway.

“I’m hoping you slept well. You didn’t call, so I assumed you were fast retired.”

Ren scanned the feline’s freshly pressed waistcoat and nodded.

“It was pleasant, actually. And I apologize for my outburst last night. It was a long day, but that’s no excuse for ruining my own first impression.” He paused, noticing how closely Morgana followed him through the foyer and out into the courtyard. “…Any particular reason you feel the need to accompany me today? I dealt with officials frequently up north. Surely they’re not much worse here.”

The feline grinned. “I must come strictly as your advisor, your majesty. I don’t want you to deal with the initiation alone. It’s been so long, I’m afraid some of the reps might get overzealous.”

Ren didn’t inquire any further. They walked in silence after that, stopping in the town square to chat with some of the shadowy figures who seemed wholly uninterested in conversing with Ren about anything at all. Eventually he just stopped trying. Perhaps a bit of advice on how to approach this type of community could work in his favor after all.

He squared his shoulders when they came upon the Hall of Officials. They’d apparently tasked some groundskeepers with trimming the plants freshly for his arrival, and also polished the marble tiles that fanned out beneath him once the heavy doors were tugged open. They clicked under his heels as he approached the center table, set with… two individuals, not even sitting across from each other. For all of its décor, the “Hall of Officials” seemed to be rather lacking in manpower indeed.

Ren curbed his snap judgments once again and sat down awkwardly on the cushioned chair prepared, apparently, for him. A thin red carpet was tossed askew leading up to it. The officials smiled, and he suppressed a shiver.

“Your Majesty,” Morgana started, clearing its throat. “I’d like to introduce you to Lavenza and Igor. Secretary and President of Affairs, respectively.”

Now Ren simply couldn’t help it. He looked back and forth between the creepy, bug-eyed man slouching over the jumbo mahogany table, and the petite blonde lady who looked more like a resort staff faerie from the north.

“Secretary and President? Isn’t there anyone else here?”

Neither of the officials seemed ruffled. Lavenza, surprisingly, was the one to speak up first.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have enough going on out in the community to justify keeping anyone else here. All of the other folks we could consider members of the board are allocated to the prisons, since that’s where most volatile activity happens these days.”

“And that’s what we are hoping to work on as well,” Morgana added quietly.

“But this is a discussion for another day, once you’ve been initiated. In honor of inducting a new king after so many years, we wanted to offer one of our traditional ceremonies.”

With that, Lavenza rose and clapped her hands, eyes bright. Conversely, Morgana looked completely stricken.

“W-wait, Madam Secre— Miss… ah, Lavenza, I wasn’t told what ceremony you—”

Silence fell as ten well-dressed individuals entered the room. The line was a mixture of genders and appearances, all of them quietly nervous as they stood before the king.

“These fine ones have been hand-selected to serve as your pool of potential mates. They all come from our highest-grossing escort lounge and carry the most pristine customer satisfaction ratings.”

She said it with such beaming sincerity, Ren couldn’t even respond.

“As it was in the past, you may choose more than one, but only one in particular may serve as your live-in mate. They are all guaranteed to have high libido, but you are also welcome to test your choices for a night each in terms of domestic and sexual compa—”

“Enough.”

The entire hall was suddenly quiet enough to hear the whistling of ashen wind outside.

“I’ll be refusing your ceremony.” The effort of keeping his voice even made his throat tight. “I don’t want to hear a single mention of this ever again, as long as I’m in power. With that being said, it was a pleasure meeting you all. The first plan of direction gathering will be in three days. Bring the prison officials as well- no exceptions on that. This paper…” He took a folded piece of parchment from inside his coat. “…will outline the details for you.”

He motioned for Morgana to follow him out as Lavenza snapped up the paper.

“…Established trade market, suppression of quartz distribution, and a _full-scale_ prison revamp…? Your Majesty, with all due respect, this is absurd. Are you serious about the two-month time frame?”

“Dead serious. Make it happen. Of course, you now have a competent leader willing to keep all hands on deck. Allocate your resources a bit better and you’ll find two months to be rather generous.”

Morgana was in the middle of bowing awkwardly when Ren tugged open the front door and looked back at the officials with their little troupe of circus performers.

“By the way, no need for revision. Consider it official as of now. It’s been posted in the town square already.”

The two barely managed to get out of earshot before Ren’s false bravado dropped and he slammed a fist into one of the courtyard walkway pillars. Morgana simply stood in apologetic silence, staring at the rubble beneath their feet.

“Sir… this is exactly what I feared. I cannot express my regret at not having spoken with them beforehand. It will never happen again.”

“All of them were cuva, Morgana. All of them were snapped up from the whorehouses and desperate to get out. I already can’t deal with this kind of nonsense, and it’s only been a day.” He ran his hands down his face, one of them scraped and dirty from hitting the pillar. “Maybe I’m not… suited for this.”

In his retrospection, a gentle paw rested on Ren’s shoulder. He looked up to find the feline’s features glowing with determination.

“On the contrary, I think you’re the only one suited for it. The only one I’ve ever met who was willing to stand up against the status quo, that’s for sure. I believe that your ideas and willpower are exactly what this place needs to breathe life into it again. I believe it with my whole heart and, as you said, it’s only been a day.” It grinned with countless sharp teeth. “As for me, I’ll stand behind you and do whatever it takes to get us there. I don’t want to see a once great place die like this, either.”

“You’re a sweet talker, Morgana.” Ren’s own smile was faint, but genuine. “I’m glad I have you as an advisor. For now, I just can’t deal with one more thing. Let’s head back, okay?”

And that was the intention, but for all the creatures who wouldn’t talk to him on their way over, an entire group seemed to take notice the instant Ren couldn’t be arsed.

“Oh, Akechi… have you met the king?”

He glanced over towards the chatter, watching as a ring of dusty fae off the beaten path split from the towering figure they surrounded. Morgana elbowed Ren, hissing into his ear.

“That’s the messenger for the north, Akechi Goro. He works for Loki- not that it personally means anything to you, but just try to be civil. We need him.”

Ren studied Akechi. He had seen nothing but slinking, dark creatures in the red ground, permanently stained with soot and dirt; the ones thrown together in the hall were no better than beggars in makeup.

 _This_ creature was nothing like that. His intense monochrome stripes flowed in all directions over his skin, wrapping around the jagged arch of his hips and sweeping back up between his thighs. Intricate golden braids rested softly on either side of black wings by his prominent shoulder blades, and— _oh._ Ren didn’t notice the fangs before. Long and tipped like needles; it was a wonder they didn’t pierce the soft lower lip underneath every time he spoke.  

The short horns of an incubus parted the flow of hair down his back, and they shone with careful polish when he stepped forward to address the king.

“Amamiya Ren. I’ve heard of you.”

His smile was outwardly polite, but sharp in all the wrong places. Carefully, the messenger looked over Ren’s attire, clicking his tongue.

“I see they got you out of your northern rags. The deities like to overcompensate, but I’m sure such niceties aren’t offered to prisoners of the state. Don’t worry, I think these suit you just fine.”

The fae crowded behind him tittered softly, watching for a reaction. Ren didn’t flinch.

“That’s quite a way to address your king. Like it or not, I’m under oath from this day forward, and you can refer to me as King.”

“Sassy. Interesting. Not sure many others will find it so charming, considering how your status is fairly common knowledge by now.” Although Akechi’s grin stayed put, something cracked at the edges. “And to already be making demands? You really mean to cure the drug problem in two months, hm? What gives you the right to revoke the only thing that lets some of these citizens tolerate their miserable lives, Amamiya?”

“Clearly you have a horse in that race.” The bare anger that finally twisted Akechi’s lips was confirmation in itself, and Ren smirked. “I do understand why you’d be upset if you can no longer feed your addiction, but some things are for the better. And for the last time, you may refer to me as King, and due to your lower rank, I shall refer to you by name. Akechi.”

“You’re just no fun. Though I do suppose my being of a lower rank makes me eligible to be your mate, no?”

That, he certainly didn’t have a response for. Why would a messenger know about a humiliating old tradition like that? Was he serious about making a fool of Ren? His gaze flickered over to Morgana, who quickly looked down.

Akechi crossed his arms. “Oh, surely they told you. Traditionally, the ruler of the middle realm is meant to find a mate within the first month of taking oath. A perfect fit into your new plan! Of course, you can take lovers in the meantime, but you won’t stop getting lines of interested parties until you make a choice. Who knows? Maybe I’ll actually show up for once, even if you’re in the throne. You don’t seem like the type to perform, but I do like the thought of co-ruling on the shoulders of someone as bullheaded as—”

The creature’s speech was cut off with a slap that sliced through the tremoring white noise around them.

For a moment, nobody spoke. The fae were the first to move, looking at each other in worry, and dispersing with sudden urgency.

Akechi’s eyes were wide and glazed while he stared straight ahead, frozen in time, hands still trapped mid-gesture. The mark on his cheek glowed pink, a bright red gash near the bottom.

Ren turned around and flipped the last of his good furs over his shoulder.

“Perhaps you’ve already forgotten. I am a degenerate, after all. I am reckless and ‘bullheaded,’ and I don’t respect your traditions. But most importantly, I am your king.”

He flicked a finger, motioning for Morgana to follow without looking back.

“The next time we meet will be for your weekly report from up north. Take care.”

He didn’t hear a reply, but he didn’t really care for one, either.

* * *

There was no correspondence from the north for an entire month.

Ren had sufficiently squashed any incubating rumors of the _mating tradition_ fiasco within the week, and Lavenza quickly grew to appreciate his stance on it- that, or she didn’t see the point in arguing with a king who was willing to work directly on his own plans as promised. Once everything was finally sorted and ready to move forward, Ren realized he was missing at least two weekly reports, and sent Morgana out with a demand addressed to the northern gates.

By the time any sign of life was received, Ren had spent a fortnight drawing up new plans to release well-behaved veteran offenders from the prison system, freeing up citizens to rebuild the community and releasing at least ten guards from duty in order to work with Ren directly on future modifications. As it turned out, the knowledge held by said guards seemed to go a long way in terms of how they understood the behaviors and desires of old and new dwellers, and they were indispensable in the endeavor to brainstorm a trade market using a rotating schedule of nonviolent volunteers from the jails. Everything seemed to be going a little _too_ perfectly. He greenlit the mockups for a modest market area in the valley the very morning it became clear he needed a break from it all. And that, of course, is when Loki’s messenger finally decided to grace Ren with his presence.

Morgana could clearly sense the tension from a mile away, leading Akechi into the office and trading him for the guards that Ren promptly dismissed.

The incubus was silent, staring at the ground, like a vampire waiting to be invited in.

“…Well?” Ren pulled out a chair from the dining table he’d been using as an office, shoving paperwork aside. “Sit down.”

Akechi obeyed. He may have been trying to hide it, but Ren could see the grip on his correspondence file was unusually tight, and his lower lip quivered just enough where you’d need to be looking closely for it in order to notice.

“I’ll be the first to say it, then.” Ren folded his hands on the table and leaned into them- a gesture of truce. “We started off on the wrong foot, but I don’t hold it against you. I certainly don’t think it’s grounds for neglecting your work entirely. Miss Lavenza has nearly a months’ worth of bare files, and look here.” He waved towards some papers stacked a bit haphazardly, bound together enough to show that they were meant to go somewhere. Akechi’s eyes flicked over to them once, then returned to stare at his own lap. “You do see that, right? I’ve been up all hours of the day and night making severe motions. Not that I personally think it’s any of the deities’ business what I’m working on, since their business is suddenly none of mine- you can tell them that, by the way- but they should probably have copies for posterity. We’re backed up on these matters more than we’ve allegedly ever been and… you’re not listening to me, are you?”

Now Akechi started, pupils growing wide. “No. Yes. I am listening.”

“Then respond.” He meant for it to sound intimidating, but it came out as troubled instead. “Are you afraid of me now? Or simply being petulant?”

No answer.

“…Is this because I embarrassed you in front of your admirers?” He sighed. “Look, I do apologize for taking it too far, but what you’ve said- and you weren’t the only one- well, it’s true. Nobody will respect an authority who shows up out of nowhere making demands, especially if they have a record. I can’t afford to succumb to falling short. I’m not all that cruel in reality. If we had met under different circumstances, perhaps we both would’ve been spared from putting on the airs expected of us. Don’t you agree?”

 _Still_ no answer.

Ren tapped his nails on the table, admittedly growing a bit nervous. They really couldn’t afford to lose what little communication they had with the north so soon. He needed to undo the damage somehow.

Unfortunately, Akechi wouldn’t even look up to give him any hint of how this “conversation” was going. He stood and walked the length of the table to stand next to Akechi, placing a hand down in a bid for his attention.

“Listen. This really is unfortunate, and I take most of the blame. Is there anything I can do to show my—”

He barely caught a glimpse of the raw fury in Akechi’s cat-like eyes as the creature lunged for him.

They landed in a tangle, and teeth and claws dug into his skin immediately. Akechi wrapped both hands around Ren’s throat, kissing and licking at his lips like a feral animal until he opened up in shock, tasting something distinctly _sweet._ The tongue swiping into his mouth was gentle compared to how fiercely Akechi ground his hips down. Ren struggled to find purchase on the uneven ground while keeping up with the sensations coursing through him, turning his limbs to lead, making him feel almost… drugged.

 _Drugged_.

There wasn’t any time for force, and even less for accusations. Akechi got ahold of himself in one empty instant, like waking up from a nightmare, and made a single choked sound before fleeing.

Ren tried to sit up. The strength was gone from his arms and legs, bones acting liquid, head cottony and full. It felt like…

Like being drugged. Like being _poisoned._

He felt the saliva dripping excessively down his chin, and it wasn’t… his. It was warm and thick and unusually sugary, and most damning of all, swallowing made his head swim even more.

The adrenaline gave him strength enough to get to his feet, scrambling to grab a memo and pen before they gave out again.

_Unbelievable._

* * *

The aftermath of that night was unsurprising. Weekly reports became something that were slipped under the door in the early hours of the morning. Ren would try to wake up before then, even going so far as to stay up all night, waiting by the entrance, but Akechi was always one step ahead. Ren got the proper paperwork on his desk by the time it was due, but he never once caught a glimpse of the messenger.

One week remained until his priority list was set to be completed and signed into action. The only thing he had left was a signing for the quartz ban. To be honest, he thought that would be the easiest law to instate; at the very least, it could be regulated and taxed to keep it out of common circulation. The danger of it wasn’t to physical health as much as mental. If anything else was to work as intended, this would be a vital cog in the wheel.

He woke up long before the meeting hour, accustomed to little sleep after consistent tireless work. The mirror in front of the bed, although slightly repaired by now, wasn’t kind enough to lie about his pale complexion and drooping shoulders. Nevertheless, he threw away the desire for more sleep and began to dress.

The small round mirror attached to the wardrobe door offered no favors in making him look less like garbage. There were a few outfit choices, all of which were similar and stiff and not particularly appealing. Black buttoned jacket with striped cravat, striped pants with gold lacing, gold headpiece with sterling silver beading, black hood with short horns, his favorite red and silver fur cape, gold eyes, gold claws, black dagger—

The door slammed, and before he could react, Ren’s back was smashed into it with a blade against his neck.

“Good morning, _King_ ,” Akechi snarled. He glanced over Ren’s half-nude form, unimpressed. “I do apologize for catching you at such a vulnerable time, but you must understand, it’s vulnerable for me as well.”

“What in the world are you doing?” Ren tried to force away the hand gripping tightly on its weapon; it shook slightly, but it didn’t budge.

“Keeping you from fucking me over.”

“What are you talking about? What have I ever done to you?” Ren frowned. “ _Actually_ done to you. A slap to the face doesn’t count.”

“I think we’re past questions. But if you want to play so badly one last time, I will ask what makes you such a masochist towards everyone under you. Who gave you the right to touch me, anyway? What business do you have laying a hand on me, making a mark on me like that and infecting me with your filth?” The demon grit his teeth, fangs bright and thin like the pupils burning inside his gold eyes.  “Why did you have to get yourself _in_ me like that? Now you—”

“ _You’re_ the one who kissed me, you brainwashed little—”

His rebuttal was quickly cut off by a repeat of that day. Akechi trapped Ren’s entire body against the wardrobe and kissed him with the fierceness of a fire. He seemed prepared for the king’s limbs to give out this time, lacing his arms under his thighs and lifting the dead weight until Ren surrendered to wrapping both legs around the monochrome creature’s waist just to stay upright. The force keeping him against the wood door was back instantly, and Ren realized with horror that he was achingly hard against Akechi’s abdomen.

“Figures. Even the mighty are weak to something they’ve never had before. Now you can talk about addiction without sounding like a goddamned fool.”

Akechi thrusted a hand down to free Ren’s partially covered cock, roughly rubbing circles into the head.

“Enjoy it like I do, your highness. Feel my bliss while you—”

“Alright, that’s quite enough out of you.”

Akechi froze, turning to see Morgana standing in the doorway. Quiet like a true cat, rapier in one hand, chained cuffs in the other. It averted its eyes, embarrassed despite the tension, but recovered quickly enough.

“Weapon down.”

Akechi let the blade clatter to the ground. Ren swooped down to grab it, scrambling to cover his lower half in the process, after which Morgana let out a sigh of relief and faced the two completely.

“You’ll put these on of your own volition so our guards may transport you to the north. Do your explaining to Loki there, although I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a good outcome.” Morgana took a few tentative steps forward and clacked the iron around Akechi’s wrists at breakneck speed. The messenger nearly lost his balance as he was tugged away from Ren. “He may be a delinquent, but assaulting any official is a capital offense. I don’t understand how you could be this stupid, Akechi…”

“Hold on.”

Morgana and Akechi both looked to Ren, wary.

He fumbled to find a robe amongst his nicer pieces, eventually wrapping himself up and reaching out to take the chain from Morgana.

“I have a few things to ask him, so don’t do anything yet. He has a reason and I want to find out what it is. I’m sure it’s not a good reason, but…”

Morgana snarled. “Your Majesty, I think you’re being too kind.”

“I am.” He kept his posture steeled. “Give me the chain. If you’re worried, stand at the end of the hall with both weapons. I’ll call you.” Morgana still didn’t seem convinced; for good measure, he added, “I promise.”

That got the feline to leave. Ren made sure they were reasonably alone and out of earshot before linking Akechi’s chains behind one of the bed frame posts and guiding him to sit down.

For the first few moments, he couldn’t help but stroke through the cuva’s silky hair, up over the horns that were clearly cut now that he was up close. He could almost picture the long, tapered horns that would otherwise stretch back past Akechi’s head.

The demon in question dropped his chin, not to get away from the touch, but perhaps to lower his voice even further. He spoke like a pinched-out flame, gone in an instant.

Ren sighed. “Face me, please. I’m obviously not happy, but I want to hear what you have to say properly.”

To his surprise, Akechi’s eyes were spilling over with tears when he raised his head.

“Don’t sign those papers.”

“What…?”

“Don’t sign them. Don’t go through with the quartz regulation. If you do, I lose everything. Supply to the north is already pretty low outside of the deity chambers; they have a monopoly on it, and Loki will never give me more than he’s inclined to spare. I barely…”

“Loki is sponsoring your drug use?” Ren furrowed his brow. He could understand if it was a personal addiction problem, but this…

Akechi’s laugh was mirthless and ended in a shaky sigh. “Not in the way you think. Quartz is part of a drug I need to take to keep working. I use it as an inhibitor.”

Ren kept quiet, seeing that Akechi was still figuring out how to explain himself.

“You know too much. I’m a cuva. Born that way, raised that way, nearly funneled into prostitution like everyone else… but Loki saw something in me that was worthwhile. Some sort of use… or maybe he realized I couldn’t complain if he was giving me such an easy way out. So he brought me up north and tested medicines until we found something that let me go a full day without whiting out from overstimulation. Cuva are pretty much the opposite of incubi… the cravings are for our own sake. That’s why nobody gets out. It’s constant.”

“But you said you take quartz medicine for it. How did you break down in front of me like that?”

Akechi smiled sadly. “Because you hit me. Isn’t that fucked up? My inhibitors dull sensation for the most part, and if I’m careful, it lasts quite a while before I need to take care of things. When you did that, it was like my whole body rebooted. I barely made it back to my bed before whiting out.”

“So your inhibitors don’t necessarily cure the instinct… but suppress it temporarily?”

“Yes. That’s all I have. And that’s why you can’t take this away from me. I don’t care what consequences I’m up against. I’ll risk dying to keep the life I was given, because the one I had before isn’t worth living. Not after I’ve seen how much better it can be.”

Ren sat for a while, staring at the floor as thoughts turned to a cyclone in his head. There were a number of factors at play here; if he could sort them out properly, perhaps there was a deal to be made. One where he’d get what he needed, and nobody else would have to suffer, even if…

“Your Majesty?” Akechi’s voice was sweet, but strained. “Can you at least unhook me from the post? My arms are going numb.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Ren lifted the chain and dropped it into Akechi’s lap, keeping his palms on the cuva’s thighs as if that might finalize his proposition. Akechi fidgeted.

“Okay. Here’s the deal. I don’t think we need to do anything crazy and ship you off to the north permanently. That’s a waste.” He reached across to undo the cuffs, giving the cuva a single glance to ask for some integrity once they were off. “I won’t speak a word of your identity to anyone. I can revise the plan for restricting quartz, and even devise a quiet way to keep a supply, which will go directly to you.” He chuckled at Akechi’s stunned reaction. “I don’t even use it, so don’t worry. But in return, I want you to tell me more about these inhibitors. I want to learn how they work. And you will need to not make any more attempts on my life or reputation, or else this deal is null and void. Doesn’t sound too bad for you, right?”

He didn’t expect an easy agreement, but he certainly didn’t expect Akechi to call him out so quickly either.

“It’s a bit _too_ good on my end, actually. What’s the real catch here?”

“Ah, that. Quite simply, I need to make sure you’re accessible to me far more often. So…” Ren smiled, knocking on the wardrobe. “Morgana!”

The feline burst through the door a moment later, both weapons at the ready. Ren motioned for it to lower it hackles, which it did begrudgingly, never taking its eyes off of Akechi or his freed hands.

“Forget the idea from earlier. It’s sorted. All I need you to do is make sure any relevant parties know that they no longer need to propose a mate for me.” He got to his feet, gesturing for Akechi to stand as well. “I’ve made my choice.”

* * *

Morgana remained displeased with the situation for a good while. Keeping the cuva around their quarters when he’d normally be milling about the red ground, charming lesser beings, was not sitting well. Regardless, the cat demon kept their meals coming as per usual, serving them in the work room where Ren took notes on Akechi’s quartz medicine and his reactions.

That part in particular was… difficult to manage. Between his work with the north and undergoing experiments of tolerance, Ren needed to provide the cuva with his own room and ample free time to get any personal matters tended to. He’d evidently grown to be a master of silence, satisfying cravings on the regular without a sound even when on the brink of whiting out. Loki never sent any suspicious correspondence; likely he was far too immersed in a life of leisure and dreamy tripping to question where Akechi was spending his “free” time these days. That was for the best. Ren grew increasingly thankful for that “deity” and his awful carelessness.

As well as the plan was going, with Ren’s notebook being filled halfway and the regulation on quartz maintaining everything from amount to concentration, Ren found himself distracted from work more and more. Akechi may have been well under control, but when he did undergo the suffering of lower quartz content or longer times between doses, his body did the rest. Sweetly scented waves of hormones rolled between them in the small workshop, making even the leafy green plants turn instantly vibrant, and Ren was not immune to the pull of it. Akechi was objectively gorgeous when the cravings bloomed: he flinched at every touch, keened softly at the tentative sensory input on his skin, always shivered like a small animal for as long as he could bear it. The desperation in his eyes was bright red and beautiful, just like the flush on his cheeks, his neck, his shimmery lips… _fuck._ Time to curb the enthusiasm once again.

They were “mates” as far as anybody else was concerned, but Akechi never allowed Ren to _truly_ touch him even once. Giving up that control was not something he intended to do within the confines of their arrangement. So Ren let him run off to his quarters and leaned back in the armchair for the time being, always failing to repress the urges that never really left.

Was it disrespectful to be feeling this way? Despite his genuine desire to fix the cuva’s curse of complacency, and despite never finding the appeal of cuva in general, he desperately wanted to try Loki’s messenger in particular. It would undoubtedly blow his mind… like Akechi said, finally having a taste after so long might leave him addicted for real. But Ren could live like that, right? He could hang that letter of excommunication on the jagged wall behind this throne, where everyone could drink it in while he sat in comfort and took exactly what _he_ wanted: everyone’s ironic trophy of lust, pliant and drooling and facing the world from his lap… maybe even with his back turned on it instead, down on his knees with that sassy mouth fully occupied. Everyone’s icon _._ Ren’s alone; his to take and reveal and _fill._ Gods, he wanted them to know. They deserved to know how wrong they were about Akechi. About _everything_.

Patience was a virtue. Ren just wasn’t sure how long he could stay convinced of that.

It was a few weeks into their trials that Ren visibly began to suffer from the poison. Such a brutal thought, knowing he was being gently woven into the pull of this gorgeous demon, feeling evil for loving the fact that he was so helplessly _slutty_ behind closed doors, enduring vivid dreams of passion that always left Ren with soaked sleepwear in the morning… all of it was building up faster than he could lock it down. All of it had him leaning over Akechi’s shoulder, testing his pulse and temperature, weak to it despite their technical progress.

He was kissing into the hollow of Akechi’s throat before he even realized it. The distant, mindless groan right in his ear was the only thing tethering Ren to reality when he bit down. Testing. Indulging.

Akechi was the first to snap out of it. He pushed Ren back and held him steady, studying him with a wild expression.

“Y-you… are you…?”

“Under the spell?” Ren cracked a smile despite himself, though there was nothing funny about it. “I guess so. I did well until now, but… well, this _is_ my first exposure.” He tried a soft stroke against the cuva’s cheek. It still felt far too intimate. “Please don’t be angry.”

“I’m not… angry. I feel bad.”

Ren blinked. “What? Why?”

Akechi curled in on himself, looking almost ashamed. “For me, this is an improvement. But I didn’t really consider how you might be feeling. I can’t imagine how much this might be messing with you.”

“So what? That’s part of what I agreed to. We both knew what we’d be getting into.”

“But you want to fuck me.”

“I— well…”

Akechi’s somber glance was devastating. He had Ren pinned, and he knew it. But there was no real anger in that look so much as a heavy cloud of resignation.

He pulled the king to his feet, holding him steady as he struggled to find balance.

“Let’s go.”

Ren tried to pull away from the grip, to no avail. “Huh? We aren’t even half finished with today’s tests.”

“ _So what?_ ” Akechi mimicked. “I want to make it up to you. Follow me. And please, just… be quiet.”

 

The next… hour, maybe?... passed in a blur. Ren enjoyed the fuzzy, boneless feeling Akechi’s hormones continued to instill in him, noting how the swirled walkway underfoot blew him away with its color and intricate patterns. His guiding star was the distinct figure flickering in front of him. Only him. Only Akechi. No… only Goro; he should be calling such a lovely creature by his true name, shouldn’t he? Goodness. Ren giggled at his own sentimentality.

The world was glossing over quickly. He hardly noticed those flourishing details fading away until the land inclined, and the wind grew sharp and cold, and Akechi was no longer holding onto his arm, walking ahead with his head down towards a tall structure obscured by a dusty sky.

Fog and gravel gave way under their feet, leading them blind up the pathway. This had to be a good distance up north. How long had it been since Ren traveled to the north? He didn’t remember it being so dismal- so _frigid._ The red ground’s heat must’ve settled into his bones if the air was too cold here, despite having rugged furs pulled tight to his chest. Even Akechi’s mystique was crushed under an aura of isolation.

“Your private quarters? How do you find this place every time?” Ren squinted at the blurred form walking carefully in front of him, completely unbothered by the changes in temperature.

“You get used to it after a while. I could walk here with my eyes closed.” Goro’s voice was soft, swallowed by the fog. The hard line of his stripes seemed to bleed together here. His shoulders drooped, too, like he was deep in thought.

Ren didn’t press until they reached the entrance to the hideaway.

It was impossible to deny how beautiful this place was. It radiated a purity that couldn’t even be found up north, let alone in the red ground. The fog condensed over white marble and dripped down the sides, pooling where tall grasses and ivy used its nourishment to climb right back up the walls. Glittering white flowers peeked between the dark vines. Ren stood frozen for a while, mesmerized by the sight and sounds of running water, before the click of a gate brought him mostly back to reality.

Goro let it swing shut behind him. Ren got the distinct impression that Goro forgot he was there completely.

He pushed sightseeing to the back of his mind in favor of following the cuva inside- a grand hall which, for all its outward loveliness, had almost no personal touch. A canopied bed stood in the middle of the room, on a carefully woven carpet, spread over with various intimate toys- many of which looked like they’d take hours of preparation for a creature of Goro’s size to take.

The sheets were clean. While the cuva made a beeline for a small room off to the side, Ren ran his hands over them. How many nights alone had they seen, covered in countless messes by the end? Hundreds? _Thousands?_

“I don’t like having my space scrutinized, if you’d believe it.”

Ren turned to find Goro leaning against a column, face plastered with fake stoicism. He still chewed his lip in embarrassment.

“Well then… let’s get on with it.”

“I—…excuse me?”

Goro ignored him and sat down on the bed, choosing a toy and bottle of viscous liquid without much thought and trying to feign settling against the pillows.

“You can start here. It won’t take long. Unless you’d like me to flip over, so you don’t need to hear me. I can muffle things quite well in these pillows.”

“No.”

The brunette stopped fidgeting and looked up, brow raised.

Ren let out a long-held sigh and came over to the bed, sitting down next to Goro while awkwardly trying to take the objects out of his hands to set them elsewhere.

“Perhaps I should’ve made myself clearer about my desires, as you did. I don’t want this to be a contractual thing. You don’t need to be ashamed about asking for what you need. You shouldn’t have to lock yourself up here just to live normally out there-” He nods to the door. “-in the first place. You’re clever and sexy and _brave._ I want someone like you at my side. I don’t know why, but…” He takes a breath, trying to word it all carefully. “…I’ve been feeling like it wasn’t a coincidence that I was excommunicated. I think it was fate, so that I would meet you, and you would meet me.”

Goro’s face was wary, but Ren wasn’t about to back down, quickly linking their fingers. If the cuva got scared off, so be it… he’d solve it later.

“Listen to me. I want to change the game with you. Take power _away_ from the ones who made you believe you need to hide in this gold tower prison and take inhibitors to mask who you are, just so you won’t be forced to suffer.”

Goro was quiet. He didn’t struggle when Ren coaxed him into his lap, rubbing his thighs lazily.

“You need to believe me. If you’re going to be mine, I want you to _love_ being mine. I want you to scream my name and mean it. I want you writhing in this bed, missing me when you touch yourself.” Ren reached up and turned Goro’s chin to the mirror, where their gazes met. “I want to see you happy by my side when we aren’t doing things like this. Is that what you want, too?”

The silence could have eaten Ren alive. Goro was far too practiced at hiding his emotions, even under the influence of this much lust. His jaw clicked with the effort of remaining stone-faced, and after a time, he finally chose his words.

“I’ll admit… it is. And I’m trying hard to trust you, even though I think you’re foolish… but in return, there’s something you need to do for me.”

“Mm.” Ren rested his head on Goro’s shoulder, still observing their reflection. “And what would that be?”

Goro turned away from the mirror and forced Ren to look at him properly.

“I want you to do as I say when we’re in bed- whether it’s here or elsewhere. If I ask you to hurt me, do it _._ If I want you to mess me up, no matter how strange it seems, _do it._ I’m not one of the delicate flowers plastered all over your whorehouse advertisements. I don’t need to be taken care of, unless you’re doing so by _my_ definition. Those are my demands.” He didn’t blink, delivering every word like a challenge and ending it with a sadistic grin. “Can you meet them?”

The quiet clearly displeased Goro as his hips rolled down. _Hard._

“I want an answer, Ren. Can you fuck me the way I need it, whenever I need it? Can you find the time to cum in me every day? I know you’re terribly busy, but… surely if you want to keep me around, you can put this to good use.”

Ren made room for a quiet _yes_ before taking Goro’s lips in a warm kiss.

It was _electric,_ no doubt about it. He’d never properly laid hands on a cuva before. He’d heard musings on the sweetness of their saliva, even got a brief taste of it, knew their natural inclination to get aroused and handsy so quickly, but all of those rumors coming true through Goro somehow made it so enticing.

His belt was undone, his erection pulled out, much quicker than his brain could keep up. Goro’s finger gently dipped into the precum beading at the head of Ren’s cock, stringing the thick fluid to his mouth as he deliberately licked it clean. His gold-swirled eyes were beginning to cloud up pretty obviously now, losing their focused lock on Ren’s.

The king hummed, taking Goro’s chin between his claws. “Are you alright, honey?”

“Y-yes. I only… took my first round of inhibitors today, so I wouldn’t white out. Skipped the second round. It would’ve made it impossible to relax enough to take you.”

“Ahh, what a sweetheart,” Ren snarled. He pushed Goro backwards and ground up against his ass, feeling kind enough to give him a preview of coming events. “You’d suffer this just for me? You must really want to get filled as soon as possible.”

Goro took in a sharp breath but didn’t answer. Instead, he snaked around to grip Ren’s wrist and switch their positions again, tossing him down like a ragdoll. Ren winced at the audible _crack_ his head made against one of the posts. He really needed to remember that Goro wasn’t to be taken lightly. He was incredibly strong and agile and, if anything, this level of lust would just intensify that. 

“Already forgetting what I told you not a minute ago. You’re such an arrogant fucking _beast._ ”

“Aw, honey. You don’t mean that.”

“I do. You’re nothing like them. You’re nothing like me.” Goro bared his claws. “And that’s exactly why I want you.”

The buttons of Ren’s tailored undershirt snapped off with a single swipe of Goro’s razor-sharp nails as he dove in for another biting kiss. He was clearly eager to take control, to have some sense of power in this situation, but his body wouldn’t allow it for long. The cravings quickly stole his breath and sent tremors through his legs until they collapsed on either side of Ren’s hips. Ren was nearly undressed now, but that was as far as his efforts could go.

The king came so close to making a smart remark until he felt something cold and wet on his chest. Something distinctly not from arousal.

Goro shook his head violently, braids whipping around. When he peered up at Ren from under dark lashes, his eyes were bloodshot with angry tears, red like the flush on his cheeks.

“I can’t… even control myself when I want to. I have to submit, no… no matter what I want. It can’t ever be how I want. Do you see why I can’t— why I couldn’t, before now?”

Ren wished he didn’t. He knew so many creatures who would love to bed a deity’s incubus until the instant they uncovered the truth. Who knows what they would do upon that realization, be it hurting Goro if they felt conned, or taking what they wanted while he was unable to resist. It made sense why he shut himself away. A cuva would live to submit regardless of their rank, but an incubus… an incubus would always be the one to initiate.

The façade of overconfidence wasn’t to put him on display. It was to keep him safe.

Ren couldn’t help feeling ashamed, seeing Goro like this. He was positive nobody else had ever seen him in quite this state- even Loki, assuming he was able to offer inhibitors early on in their little arrangement.

“…Goro. I know this isn’t what you asked for, but… just let me have a minute to do something, okay? And tell me if you dislike it.”

The cuva’s eyes flickered up for a split second, still heavy from the weight of shame. He took the pressure off his forearms and sat up, seating himself on Ren’s lap with an indignant sigh.

He was truly beautiful. Even with stressed dark circles and shaking hands, Goro was graceful, with perfect markings and a perfect body. The jagged points of his hips begged to be pulled forward- or perhaps backward, depending on the position- but, of course, now wasn’t the time.

Ren drew his hands softly over Goro’s skin. He traced even lines up his chest, grazing his nipples with the pads of this thumbs, and cupped his cheeks before leaning up further.

The softness of their kiss caught Goro by surprise. He finally opened his eyes, shutting them again almost immediately with a sigh that melted on Ren’s tongue. The saccharine taste of venom spread in his mouth; the more their lips moved together, the stronger it became, buzzing in his blood like a potent alcohol. Goro whined every so often, like he was trying to delay its release, but Ren was far more determined to draw it out and let it happen naturally.

“You’re going to regret this, you know,” Goro muttered. He didn’t sound too convinced of his own slurring words.

“I’m not.” Ren assured him with a gentle squeeze to draw him in closer, limbs feeling lighter now. “I want you, and my mind is made up about that. Second guessing will be a waste of our time at this point, don’t you think?”

“Hm.”

Goro’s protests were fading quickly, and Ren chuckled against his mouth.

“Tell me. Really, just humor me. How long has it been since you’ve gotten off properly? No drugs, no anything?”

Goro laughed once. It was a short, ragged sound.

“Probably decades. I’ve been at my work for quite a while, and there are very few days of leisure. I’m so pent up by then that I just let the whiteout take over.”

“In that case, I think you’ll like my idea.”

He leaned in to nip at Goro’s ear, feeling his pulse twitch with interest when a free hand reached down palm at him.

“I want to give you a break for a change. Let me ride you.”

“…W-wha—”

His voice tapered off in a shrill whine when Ren bit his neck hard enough to draw pinpricks of blood. Even that was loaded with hormones, going to work the instant they hit his tongue.

“Look what happens when we kiss. Look what just a little blood does to me. I wonder what might happen if you cum in me now? Everything you’ve suppressed all this time, all of it, pulsing hot and deep inside me… it might get me drunk enough to fuck you until you forget your own name. What would it do to _you,_ releasing so much tension? I think you’d be ready for anything. And in return, of course, I’d cum nice and hard inside you as well. I wouldn’t be able to help it.”

He wrapped a hand around the cock quickly growing hard underneath him, using a thumb to gather warm precum and slick it down. Sure, his ass probably wasn’t _quite_ as nice as a cuva’s, but Goro didn’t seem to care about that a bit, judging by the crazed scrambling of his claws when Ren pushed back and began sliding against him.

“How does it feel? Good, right?” He added more pressure until the curved tip of that cock teased his entrance on the downstroke, never quite slipping in enough to provide any relief to either of them. “You can be loud, honey. Nobody else has ever heard that sweet voice of yours. Let yourself go. Let me hear you moan for me…”

Finally, Goro obliged, occupying his hands completely with fisting in the sheets and screwing his eyes shut. The less he managed to control the sounds, the deeper his flush became. Ren’s lip quirked at the surprisingly adorable state of his cuva- his _mate,_ now- and on the next thrust, positioned himself so Goro’s cock would sheath itself fully.

Whatever he didn’t understand about the cuva before, he was quickly learning. Rumors alone were able to keep him away for his time in the northern realm, even when some of the deities’ associates made a beeline for the neon buildings during infrequent visits to the red ground. Tall tales of poisoned blood and mind control weren’t enough to deter someone with nothing to lose. He knew how easy it was to get addicted to them… every fluid in their body was formulated to draw you in and clamp down like a bear trap.

But now, with _Goro_ under him, staring unblinking into his eyes with a fire that burned copper-gold, those consequences seemed so worth undertaking. Behind his eyelids Ren saw a myriad of potential aftermaths flashing through like snapshots: nails snarled in Goro’s hair, dragging down his back until his black and white stripes were crosshatched with red; thighs pressed back to his shoulders as he teared up from overstimulation; seated on Ren’s lap, roughly fucking himself down onto the taper of his cock, dazed from a cocktail of chemicals. In all of these, Goro was the picture of bliss.

Ren felt a renewed jolt of temptation run up his spine.

Who was he to deny that kind of pleasure to a creature who needed it so much?

Even the logical part of his brain was falling prey to the sensations. Certainly, if it all went up in flames, this would be one more endeavor presented for him to conquer. One more thing he could do to break these ridiculous ways of life and stain Loki’s possessions, even if he couldn’t steal them away for good. And if that meant going slack time and time again to a cuva’s venom- to _Goro’s_ venom- then he would savor every single second.

Goro’s mouth had been hanging open for a while now, taking in deep and shaky breaths, fanged teeth resting gently on the sides of his tongue. Ren could practically taste the poison fully saturating his mouth from inches away. One more gentle bite could very well draw enough blood to put Ren under completely… and it sounded good. Better than good. It sounded like exactly what he needed.

He leaned in, trying to decide whether it was more tempting to suck on Goro’s tongue or bite his lip himself, but quickly realized the choice wasn’t up to him. Claws dug into his hair and pulled him down, crushing their mouths together until the pain of teeth caught on his own sensitive skin. The tongue finally forcing its way against Ren’s was much _longer_ than he remembered, much sweeter, and it dripped with the thicker half of saliva and blood when Goro managed to release his grip with obvious difficulty, wrists slamming back on the bed as if they’d been pinned there with excessive force.

“I-I’m sorry, I… can’t control it anymore. I want to fuck you so badly, I just… _please,_ Ren. Please say it’s okay.” His claws flexed blindly, irises completely clouded gold now. Something about the intensity of it all froze Ren in place, hips stilled.

That clearly wasn’t to Goro’s liking. He thrusted violently upwards, sharp and fierce, as if trying to wake the raven from his own stupor.

“ _Ren._ Please. Please say it.”

It wasn’t difficult when the sweat cooling on them both smelled like honied, heady perfume.

“I said it before. Whatever you want, I promised you it’ll be okay.”

The words were no sooner out of him than Goro had him flipped over, face pushed hard into the bed with one hand while the other drew his hips up into a rolling rhythm that hit Ren so deep, he couldn’t help the surprisingly loud cries immediately tearing from his throat.

“Shhh, _your_ _majesty_.” Goro’s voice was low, distant; far away in a headspace controlled by the permission to let go. He rested his forehead in the crook of Ren’s neck in a comforting gesture, even as the tip of his cock struck the other’s sweet spot every second. “Listen to you. So loud. You know what I think we should do? I think we should have a lesson where I teach you how to do everything I want- and it’ll be so _easy,_ too. We don’t even have to think about it. Just breathing the air in this room could make you into my slave. Nobody will protect you here. Nobody will hold _me_ back.” Sharp nails bit through the skin on Ren’s hip, drawing out fat crimson beads. “And as for this? Feel how thick it is. Your blood must be pure poison now… maybe you wish you were a cuva, too? It wouldn’t be so bad if you were here with me, always, like I am… pleasure like this only comes at a price if someone else is putting that price _on you._ ”

The words flowed through Ren’s head between waves of lust. _If I were a cuva…?_ He’d never thought about it, but here, feeling what might be magnified a hundred times over in another body made his cock ache with need. He’d love it, he decided. He’d love to be fucked like this constantly, swapping roles day in and day out until they both lost consciousness. He’d love to breathe in the scent of hyper-sensitive sex all the time. He’d love to… breathe…

It was way too much. Ren could feel his lungs burning for air, the pain of scratches and friction mixing with so many bone-deep sensations of bliss that he was sure he’d pass out if this kept up for much longer.

“Just say it. You want me to cum in you, right? Because the sooner I do, the sooner you can fuck me into submission. I’ll let you have it, don’t worry. But for this moment… for right now, I want you to remember what it means to be mine.”

Luckily, the cuva was closer to his limit than it seemed. Bruises blossomed on Ren’s thighs with every erratic yank backwards until the tension finally snapped; all at once Ren felt Goro’s hips still, pressed deep into him, and the viscous heat that filled him afterwards felt like fire licking away at ice. He collapsed as soon as Goro pulled out, panting, quickly noting the hum of fresh arousal spreading in his core.

It was a few minutes before either of them moved. Carefully, Ren lifted himself up and peeked over at Goro, who lay curled gracelessly in the blankets, dazedly flexing one of his hands.

“…Are you alright?”

No response. Ren wanted to reach out and shake him into focus, but thought better of it. Eventually the cuva’s irises cleared into a smooth tone and his features regained animation. He looked up to Ren, studying him in confusion.

“Ren? I… oh, gods. Did I hurt you? Did I do anything foolish…?” Goro grit his teeth. “I tried so hard to stay in control, but…”

“No. Don’t worry, you were fine.” Soothing fingers threaded into Goro’s hair, petting until the worry on his face melted away. He decided to curl up against Ren’s chest instead.

“You felt good. For what it’s worth. I did lose a lot of awareness, but everything I could feel was amazing. I’ve never been with anyone else, so to start off with taking you was… intense.”

“Seemed like it,” Ren murmured. He tried to concentrate on the stroke of his fingers, but the effects of their first session refused to be ignored. Already his cock was straining against the positioning of their legs, twitching whenever a pleased sound slipped out of Goro’s mouth. The cuva was content to press into the touch, and Ren noticed the bases of his small flattened wings twitching with interest. Curiously, he moved his hands there, stroking over the muscles and jerking away when Goro moaned like he’d been suddenly filled out.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Goro shot him a weak, foggy glare. “That isn’t—”

“You’re especially sensitive now, right? Might be fun to toy with the most sensitive spots available before we keep going,” Ren cooed, resuming the ministrations. “I wonder what it would do to you? Don’t you want to find out?”

It seemed the answer was in his favor, because Goro melted into the touch almost immediately. His limbs rested in total dead weight on Ren’s lap while he encouraged those wings to pry themselves open, quivering up and out as they stretched into the space before him. Ren’s fingers drifted into the downy feathers and pulled through with torturous care.

“Feel good?”

Goro groaned out a reply that took Ren a moment to decipher as _“heaven.”_

The petting was certainly enjoyable, but Goro’s borderline erotic responses did little to keep Ren’s arousal in check. He wanted those soft wings around him, caging him in while he thrusted into Goro, or between his thighs while they pulled back around him- it didn’t matter at that point. Ren needed to _move._

He let the gentle grinding become more noticeable when Goro seemed eons away from getting up. _Fucking hell_ , he was so sensitive it was insane. Just a few minutes and he’d be able to slide into the tight heat of a cuva. Not just any cuva, either- _Goro._ Gorgeous, wicked, perfect Goro.

“I can feel you, you know. You’re breathing like you’re drowning.”

“Ah…”

Goro lifted himself, turning to look over his shoulder with the most vulnerable, alluring gaze Ren had ever seen in his life. He reached over as they adjusted, taking Ren’s wrist and guiding him to wrap a hand tightly around his own throat.

“Goro—”

“It’s okay. It’s your turn now, so… take me however you want.”

Ren swore he could feel his composure crumble then. Keeping that hand squeezing at the pulse points under Goro’s jaw, he yanked the cuva back with a growl and haphazardly lined him up to slide down onto his aching cock.

The stretch of warmth, the nails digging into his skin with a whine- Ren needed to take the first few moments to make sure he didn’t cum immediately. What a fucking waste that would be. Goro was pliant and willing in front of him; he needed to savor this for as long as possible.

The cuva’s breaths started to break apart when their pace picked up. Ren smirked.

“Does it hurt, honey?”

Goro nodded frantically, panting. “Nn. _More._ ”

“I’m glad. Gods, you’re such a gorgeous little slut on my lap like this. Aren’t you happy I made you cum in me? Got me drunk off of you, hm? I’m under your spell just like you wanted. And now you’ll take me until you _bleed._ Until you’re full with every. Last. _Drop._ ” He sneered, trying to command enough gentleness to wipe the drool from Goro’s face, belatedly wishing he’d licked it away instead. “Don’t worry, darling. This is going to last you for days. If it doesn’t, I’ll just fuck you raw again…”

“ _Yes,_ Ren. All of that, all of it, I need—”

“I know. You need me, and I need you too. We’re going to turn this place into a jealous, living hell. We’re going to _thrive_ off of each other. Fuck, you’re so warm.” He grit his teeth, fangs aching to sink into something. “I want more of you in me, Goro. Can I…?”

The cuva instantly bared the whole of his throat, pulse visibly thundering.

Ren nosed up into it, enjoying the heavy beat of rushing blood under his lips. His tongue darted out to lap around it and choose a spot. Black or white? They’d both look lovely smeared with red. Maybe he wouldn’t need to choose. His vision swam more by the second, so close to a potent release of the cuva’s own personal drug, and he threw away the need to formulate thoughts any further.

The sweet skin gave in under Ren’s teeth like the surface of ripe fruit, and a fresh stream of blood flowed onto his tongue. His lips closed around the wound to keep any of the liquid from dripping as he sucked indulgently. Goro was absolutely writhing under him, cries of pain and ecstasy starting out high in their pitch and slowly fading to a dizzied, drunken moan.

Ren realized he was taking too much a little late, but Goro didn’t seem to mind. Ren was beyond finding the strength to care. He stroked absentmindedly at the bite, still staining violet-red. Goro, on the other hand, was not taking kindly to the pause even through his haze, and took advantage of the moment to pull himself upwards and drop back down, quickly regaining punishing rhythm.

The king let it happen. It would be best to let instinct take over now; Goro was finally enjoying letting go, the heels of his palms digging into his flushed cheeks to stifle the moans.

At least, that’s how it seemed until Ren heard sniffling sobs once again.

Ren righted himself and pulled Goro close, using every ounce of strength to keep him from bouncing. Goro’s eyes instantly snapped open in blind confusion, searching Ren’s face frantically through the tears.

“Wh…what….”

Goro squirmed a bit, but otherwise, he stayed put. The soft curve of his ass pressed further down as he relaxed on Ren’s lap.

“Just wanted to say this. You’re lovely, Goro. So beautiful. You deserve to feel amazing.” Ren pressed their foreheads together. “Talk to me. How are you feeling?”

Goro drew in a shaky breath. “I’m… i-it’s a lot. I’m so sensitive and this is humiliating for me, but I’m trying to get over it, I have to… because I love it. And I want to love it. It feels so good. You feel so _fucking_ good, Ren.”

The silence stretched out for a bit, and Ren realized he might honestly be falling for this demon far faster than he’d anticipated. Goro sniffled, clearly mortified.

“Shh, babe. It’s alright.” He let the cuva get out the rest of his whimpers, hiding from goodness-knows-who in the crook of Ren’s neck. “It feels the same for me. I’m gonna be here after all this is over. I’m always going to be here for you.”

“You could just be saying that because—”

“Look at me, Goro.” He brought their gazes into focus with a little difficulty. “I’m still lucid, you know. And I can tell you even now, once again, that you’re clever, thoughtful, talented… sometimes even a little bullheaded.” His heart jumped as Goro cracked a tiny smile. “All of that would be true whether I was saying it before or now or afterwards. You are mine. All of you, just as you are. So it’s okay to let go. Right now, it’s fair game to ask for what you need, and I promise to deliver.”

“I…” Goro’s clouded eyes flickered with the barest hint of clarity. “I trust you. I don’t know why, but I really trust you.”

“As do I.”

“Good…” A smirk, all sharp teeth. “That’s good. Because if you ever betray me, I’m going to break you.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second.” Ren took the chance to resume their grinding, giving the cuva enough time to grow accustomed to it while he decided where to take things. “We’ve got each other under lock and key.”

“Yes, lock and key… interesting for you to mention that.” Goro’s dreamy expression wandered over to the bedside table, and with absolutely no warning, he pulled himself up and off of Ren to grab a new item from it. The loud metallic rattle snapped Ren out of his surprise.

“Prove that you can take care of me when I’m at your mercy, then. I’m yours to play with.” He fastened the thick leather collar around his own neck and tossed the chain to Ren. “So _play._ ”

The position he assumed then, laid back in the mountain of pillows with his gorgeous ass on display, made Ren’s vision nearly white out for a change. Goro’s entrance was visibly prepared and dripping with hints of royal seed already. But it needed far more than that. 

Ren resumed with a single clawed hand on Goro’s throat. He put a finger to his lips at the squeak of shock, looping the chain in his occupied hand and settling back on his haunches to enjoy the view for a bit. He stroked himself languidly as his sweet little cuva squirmed.

“Desperate for me. It’s a perfect look on you.”

Without notice, he sank his teeth into the meat of Goro’s thigh.

The outcry from above didn’t receive any more coddling. Ren knew he had to stay focused and do as he was asked, and that required trusting Goro to convey what he needed as well, no matter how intense. He remembered this fervently as he coated his fingers with a liberal amount of the sticky blood and began to tease Goro open even more.

“How about a taste of your own medicine?” Ren watched as his partner’s eyelids drooped- from lack of air or further descent into delirium, he couldn’t tell which. “You ought to feel what you do to me. No idea how long you kept me waiting every time you ran away to your room to fuck yourself. Was it good enough?” Goro shook his head slightly. “It wasn’t good enough for me either, getting off to thoughts of you doing all kinds of obscene things just a couple doors down from me, in my _own home._ ” He crooked his fingers up, feeling the slick walls convulse as nails buried into overstimulated nerves. “I wished you’d beg to finally have my cock. Don’t we both feel better now, sweetheart?”

Goro’s lips parted fruitlessly, and shut again when he decided to nod instead. It was growing near impossible to resist going back to kissing, but Ren stayed determined, even if just for the tantalizing way Goro reacted to being hurt as requested.

“Did you ever think about me? Tell the truth.”

He loosened his grip to let the cuva speak freely between deep heaves for air.

“Gods, _yes,_ every single time I regretted not dragging you with me. The night I got my hands on you ruined me for good, I knew I’d never feel full without it, I just… _ngh,_ Ren, _please…_ ”

“Greedy.” Ren yanked the chain, and Goro keened. “You want to play a little rougher? I was thinking something along these lines.” He flipped the cuva over, pushing his head down with just enough restraint. “Since it’s my turn to do what I like, I enjoy the thought of holding you back by these shiny horns, scratching down your back until you’re sore, filling your perfect ass until you can’t see straight… how does that sound?”

“ _Ren._ ” Despite being buried in pillows, Goro’s voice reached him easily. “Please, _please…!_ ”

“Cute.”

Ren snaked an arm under Goro’s middle, pulling his back flush to his chest and letting his trembling body relax into the hold.

“I’ll take care of you. You know that, Goro.”

He took that chance to push back inside, feeling various fluids mixing together with the intrusion. Ren kept his eyes fixed on the claws grasping for purchase over smooth sheets. He mirrored the motions, massaging the skin around Goro’s wings, scraping against it now and then, dragging fresh weeping cuts up his thighs- anything that would sting and last. The pressure in his core was beyond throbbing; he had no idea how the cuva was keeping it building, denying him climax, but there was no way he’d naturally last this long otherwise.

Belatedly, he realized Goro was mumbling something, shaking in his grip. Ren lifted him by the throat.

“E-enough. You’re driving me crazy. Please. Just cum already, _please_ , I’m begging you— fuck, it’s okay, just cum in me… and don’t— Ren, don’t you _dare_ pull out or I’ll never _fucking_ forgive you— _nnh!_ ”

“I won’t, sweetheart. Be good for me for a little longer—”

“Shut _up._ So fucking _gentle_.” He huffed violently. “And now that I think about it…”

Ren glanced up. The thin slits of Goro’s eyes stared back at him over his shoulder, and he sneered like an animal.

“Why aren’t you going crazy, too?”      

Before he could react, Goro tugged Ren by the neck and smashed their mouths together.

Chemical saliva creeped into his sinuses, his blood, his lungs- and it must’ve been far more potent than before, loosening him up without any effort so Goro’s tongue could freely fuck his throat however he pleased.

He couldn’t deny how his body loved being manipulated to meet the cuva’s desires. Everywhere he wouldn’t naturally be able to stay pliant or calm, the venom did its work. Everything that might translate into pain otherwise cropped up in bursts of white-hot pleasure. Everything was, in the end, really just to make Goro satisfied. _Thank goodness._ No need for control, no burden to perform, no point in holding anything back, for once in his _fucking life._

Ren came harder than anticipated, wrenching the cuva back by the horns so roughly that it made joints crack. Goro recovered quickly from the shock and removed his tongue, panting and fisting a hand into Ren’s tangled black locks with a laugh.

“ _Mm,_ there you go… much better…!”

His hips jolted back to meet every sharp snap from Ren’s, whimpering softly at each pulse of heat seeping into him as deep as Ren could manage.

“ _Yes_ … gods, you’re giving me so much…”

The king could hardly stay upright, strength draining from him even as his hips continued to move. Was the world this lovely before he met Goro? He’d never, absolutely never, felt this warm and safe in his life. He could almost see the indiscernible strings woven between them knotting together for good. Soaked in poison. Exactly how he liked it.

“Please. Just…”

_Is this how it feels for him?_

“…don’t leave.”

Black and white swirled in tantalizing patterns until he passed out.

* * *

Goro stirred late at night while Ren was situated in the armchair. He’d tucked the cuva into the biggest downy blanket, noting how quickly everything had cooled down, and sat down to read. The poor thing was practically motionless for hours until then.

“Good evening.” Ren’s voice was low, as if speaking any louder might shatter the charm of night.

The cuva, on the other hand, was looking at him like a stranger. His bright gold eyes searched the room like he was waiting for a punchline.

“You’re actually still here.”

“As promised.”

Ren didn’t let him press the issue any further. He figured this might happen, and thought ahead for how to best pull Goro out of that mental state. Even after the poison dissipated and he woke up next to the demon, hair a mess and drooling slightly, he was surprised by how much adoration swelled in his chest.

For now, it was vital to stop Goro’s overthinking and nurture the peace.

“I guess supplies for the aftermath slipped my mind. I got you some water and… these?” Ren held up a bright orange fruit. “These were on a tree outside. Are they edible?”

“Yes,” Goro whispered. “But what did you do to them?”

Oh.” Ren picked up one of the slices he’d cut ahead of time. “I tried to make one of those animal shapes, where you peel the skin a certain way.”

“It looks like a roach.”

“Geez, just eat them.” Ren slid the fruits over, trying not to smile. He was glad Goro seemed to be regaining a bit of energy. Hopefully this would be enough to fill in the blanks.

“Thank you. Really.” Goro took a piece, opening up one side of his blanket like the wing of a bat. Ren just stared until he was motioned over, and he jumped up to bury himself in the warmth at the cuva’s side.

They ate quietly, and Ren nearly choked on the fruit when he felt Goro rest his head on his shoulder.

Goro frowned at him, one wing folding behind his back tentatively. “Is this not okay?”

“No, it’s fine. Just surprised me, is all.”

“You’re so odd. Out of everything we did tonight, this is what gets you flustered.”

“Oh, hush.” Ren gave a nervous laugh. “I’m not sure why it does. Maybe the atmosphere is different at night.”

Goro didn’t object to that. It was true, after all; the candles that kept the room lit provided a tiny spark of warmth now and then. Any insects and animals wandering around outside had settled down for the evening, leaving the whistle of brisk wind to occupy the air. Goro’s warm, tired body leaned into his with a kind of trust he’d never been granted by anybody else. This level of peace and quiet served to amplify the intimacy, and Ren felt completely naked even while fully dressed.

“So, ‘your highness.’ Let’s bond a little bit, hm?” Goro gave him a sugary, sheepish grin. “I am curious about what you did to get excommunicated.” He brushed his fingertips between his own thighs, still sticky and dripping with cum. “As much as you can be difficult, you don’t seem the type to be violent. Tell me what happened.”

“I’m not. I wasn’t,” Ren muttered. “I’m sure you have some idea, but the politics up north have always been shady. I might just be the only one around willing to tell the truth about it all.

He pulled the inside of his coat open, lifting the flap of his pocket to reveal a royal crest. Goro’s eyes widened.

“You… were _actually_ next to rule? I…” He tried to hide his blush. “Forgive me, but I figured that might’ve been fabricated. To get the citizens here to defer to you.”

“Nope. This delinquent is the real deal… you’ll have to take my word for it. Of course this was back before the red ground crumbled, when they were still warring with the north. I was part of a soldier guild under the original ruler, Satanael, around the time when he was getting ready to pass the torch. Loki was part of it too.”

“Satanael? I thought he stepped down.”

“Yes, he did. Against his will.” Ren sighed, already tired by the memory. “Loki and the rest… Robin, Skull, Johana… all of them decided they didn’t want to see anyone else rule in the same old style. They wanted to loosen the reigns on everything. That was what they said, but honestly, I think Loki was envious of my being chosen to step up, and convinced the rest of them to get on board. Basically, it was destruction or stepping down, and Satanael chose the latter. They kept me around for appearances, but I never took part in official business. The quartz problem gained a lot of traction, and everyone was skirting the laws, but Satanael didn’t have a say in it anymore. People stopped working. Currency lost value from the presence of drugs. I put up with it for far too long, and a few people I’d worked with in the past felt the same. They knew Loki and the rest were out of line and nothing was improving.”

“So you staged a rebellion in kind.”

“For the most part. We wanted to orchestrate an overthrow with pure manpower the way they did. There wasn’t supposed to be violence, but I suppose any threat to existing power is seen as such. I’m no stranger to Loki’s affinity for their drugs. That was how he kept everyone else complacent in the matter. They couldn’t get away with executing me, since Satanael was my mentor and gave me the royal crest centuries ago. He’d raise hell one last time if it was necessary. So they swept me under the rug, to a place where submission was already the rule.”

“I see.” Goro played with the fringe of the blanket. “Sounds similar to my situation. Loki seems to enjoy being in control, even when others are doing all the favors for him. He threatened often to cut off my supply if I didn’t facilitate the spread of quartz to the red ground. My next project was to increase circulation in the south, since it could thrive growing in certain parts of the land. I hated it; I hated watching these places grind to a halt in every sense of the phrase, but…”

“I understand. You didn’t have a choice- but look at this.” Ren took one of the small crystals from a dish on the table and coaxed Goro to open up and take it under his tongue. “We took a huge detriment and made it work in our favor. I have a feeling we can do the same with our old friends up north.”

“What do you mean?” Goro’s voice was low with suspicion, but the glitter in his eyes showed his interest.

“Haven’t you noticed that Loki spent the past three weeks without inquiring of your whereabouts? I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t notice. It’s because he _can’t._ ”

Goro smirked.

“Until you mentioned it, I didn’t realize that I haven’t given any correspondence either. It was always tied to his dispense of my medication, but I don’t need that anymore… do I?”

“No. You don’t need that, or them. _We_ don’t need them. So I say we write up a letter detailing just how much our land is ‘suffering’ from my presence. We will ‘release’ the north of their duties to correspond with us. We can frame it like a favor in which we do all the work, and I have no doubt Loki will agree to closing the border.”

“But if someone does try to cross over? That’s the part I worry about…”

“We’ve been a prison zone for generations. We have the best trained guards in the entire underworld. Goodness knows some wouldn’t mind doing _actual_ security work. I can easily make it so even Satanael couldn’t get through if he wanted.” He smiled at the sight of Goro’s wicked grin. “And you? If you feel up to it, I’d like you to oversee the distribution of this medication. All further developments will be under your watch. Nobody but me and Morgana will ever know the real reason you’re in charge.”

Goro was quiet. Considering, hopefully.

Ren took his hands. “Listen. We’re going to leave them in the dust, and you’re the only thing connecting us together. This is the only thing I need you to do for me. Will you cut the string and be the last one to ever cross over?”

“I…”

Goro’s shine of optimism quickly dulled as he thought it over, chewing his lip.

“I would. But this place… this is where I’m safe, as much as I hate it. I have nowhere else to go.”

“Then pack your things tonight. You’ll stay in my quarters until I commission a private room for you. Any way you like it, any request for special accommodations, all of it to your heart’s content.”

“Really.”

“Yes, really.”

“Then I want my own craftsman dedicated to making high-quality _equipment._ A few staff, if necessary. It needs to be as good as it is here.” Goro’s impish expression glistened. “All of this in between my nights with you, of course.”

“Done.”

That finally gave him pause.

“…I see. I like the idea, don’t get me wrong. And I do trust you. But… we need each other now, don’t we?” Goro looked to him, lithe and elegant, like he always was. “Will you promise to stay with me, even when my job is done?”

Ren smiled.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry.”

Just a short trip to the north, Loki lounged with his pipes and followers, oblivious to the goings-on of anything else. Thinking, if he could find a moment of clarity, that his decision had forced the ex-king-to-be out of the picture for good.

But miles away- at home, now- test medications incubated with a group of specialists from the old prisons while the rest finished the layout of a roadway and trader stands. In the Hall of Officials, a final stack of motions awaited his signature. He’d only need to add a couple new amendments to the pile. In the same manner he’d been shuttled out, the border to the north would be sealed away in silence.

Sure, nothing was perfect. None of it was perfect, but Ren didn’t need perfect as much as a spark of hope for tomorrow, and the demon before him at his side.

 

“I’m not going anywhere.”


End file.
